


Five Times Tony Surprised Stephen Strange

by m_supercomputer



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 02:19:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14462871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m_supercomputer/pseuds/m_supercomputer
Summary: What it says on the tin - Infinity War, and new connections.





	Five Times Tony Surprised Stephen Strange

1.

Even given how unpredictable Stephen's life has been for the last two years, half-naked men babbling in a panic about the end of the world don't fall into his home every day. "What do you need from me?"

Banner turns eyes alarmingly fluctuating in color to him. "Tony, we need him. Tony Stark."

Stephen is...wary. He'd had fleeting introductions to Stark on the fundraising circuit as the man passed through like a hurricane, and it had left an impression. "Why him?"

"He's been preparing for this, as long as I've known him. If anyone has a plan to stop it it's him."

When Stephen opens the portal, he gets the Stark he expected - blustery, defensive. But when Banner steps forward and clings to him Stark's every line goes soft, and he comes along without another question.

2.

Stark insults his profession, his person, the Sanctum he's come to believe in so deeply. When the aliens come he fights them without hesitation. He finds he can't help but like him a bit anyway, and wonders at himself.

The man coming to save him when he's an incalculable distance from home and considering giving up his most important oath because the pain is all he can think about - he can hardly breathe through the gratitude.

3.

He runs through every scenario. Killing Thanos before he is able to get the stones. Hiding and protecting them better. A dizzying array of plans to to destroy Thanos as is he is now. He spends what feels like years with the Guardians, Peter, other Avengers back on Earth, Tony - entire lifetimes. He comes to know them better than anyone he knew before the simulations and still it's not enough. At times they succeed for what seems like years, but in the end: someone gathers all the stones, and the universe is changed.

Finally he finds one, one where the threat of the stones is truly defeated, and it's Tony who figures out a way. Who manages to set things to right.

4.

Tony is in front of him when he comes back to himself and struggles to sort through what's real and what isn't, warm and reassuring, and it seems so natural in the moment that it takes him a long moment to feel the impact of that support from a man who still barely knows him.

5.

He can feel himself fading and looks at Stark, taken aback by a wave of feeling he wasn't expecting. "I'm sorry Tony," and knowing what saving him will put him through, he means it. "It was the only way."


End file.
